King Tut’s death mask stares benevolently across the Atrium level of Luxor, crossing sightlines with an image of Carrot Top on the showroom marquee opposite Tut’s new home. While the actual mummified remains of the boy king are not on site, Imagine Exhibitions’ archeological exhibit Discovering King Tut’s Tomb—The Experience has been millenniums in the making. From artifacts re-created by skilled artisans to a reproduction of the tomb itself, visitors can experience the sense of wonder Egyptologist Howard Carter felt in 1922 as he first peered into the burial place of Tutankhamun.
The pharaoh from the 18th Dynasty of Egypt did not have a long life, succumbing to ailments at age 19 after ruling for a decade. Carter’s efforts ensured Tut’s immortality. King Tut’s discovery became a commercialized craze, culminating in classic 1932 Universal Pictures horror film The Mummy. A short introductory film kicks off Discovering King Tut’s Tomb as well, establishing the atmosphere before a sliding wall reveals a passage to the past.
A memorabilia shrine paying homage to Carter precedes the series of chambers dedicated to Tut, with sound design conveying the spirit of the British archeologist via voiceover. Placards adhered to walls throughout the exhibit relate historical details about the unsung indigenous workers and the initial breakthrough into the tomb’s antechamber. Egyptian culture is put into context as well. Social hierarchies, the importance of bread and beer, and the significance of papyrus are related before the journey takes a spiritual turn.
The first relics chamber contains figurines and statuettes of gods and goddesses. It’s here that deities such as Amun-Ra and Thoth, whose legend would inform the Mummy film franchises, are physically represented. The process of mummification is related as well, and a decoder for the hieroglyphics included on placards can be found attached to a wall in this area.
Artifacts that were buried with Tut are found in the next stage, from sandals imbued with supernatural powers to the iconographic crook and flail widely associated with ancient Egyptian royalty. One display screen is dedicated to the ailments of the doomed monarch, from a cleft palate and a deformed spine to the malaria that is credited with causing his demise. Pain was likely a constant in Tut’s short lifespan.
Another constant was gold. Glittering treasures were placed in Tut’s tomb, which provide the highlight of the journey. Re-creations of Tut’s shrine and gold nesting coffin await at the climax of the discovery of “wonderful things,” as Carter described the objects unearthed a century ago.
Those wonderful things can be experienced virtually near the conclusion of the exhibit, with a guided tour made possible by immersive eyewear. Processing the material offerings of Tut’s Tomb may make further exploration unnecessary though. One would have to travel to Egypt to get a more comprehensive presentation of Tutankhamun’s final resting place, and there would be no landmarks featuring Carrot Top to help orient budding Egyptologists toward the entrance.
Luxor, kingtutvegas.com
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